First though, today saw the semi-finals of the CB40 competition. Warwickshire took on Lancashire and Hampshire met Sussex, teams you will notice who have had mostly good, and for some excellent, seasons. Here's what happened.
CB40 semi-finals
Warwickshire v Lancashire
Warwickshire won the toss and decided to bat
War - 250-6
Lan - 227
Porterfield and Chopra made a strong start without giving away too many chances. Runs flowed steadily and the partnership grew past fifty and then one hundred. Eventually fifth bowler, Keedy, removed Porteerfield for 67 with the score on 126. Troughton replaced him but played a supporting role to Chopra who was pressing on towards a century.
Troughton (11) was caught with the score on 150 but Maddy kept the runs ticking over at almost a run a ball. Clarke then upped that with a nine-ball 17, including a 6, to take the score past 200, while Chopra reached an excellent 100. Shahzad then fought back picking up two late wickets, including that of Chopra for 110, to finish with 3 for 52 and stifle a late charge from Warwickshire.
251 to win would be a challenge but not impossible, especially with Lancashire's experienced batting line up. Carter though soon struck removing Smith for 6 and Moore for 17, leaving the visitors on 29-2.
Croft added 18 before Wright joined the action to clean bowl him (one of only two players who wasn't caught in the day). Wright then removed Brown for 9 from 18 balls to leave the score on 77-4. Thirteen runs later Blackwell removed key man Prince for 26. It had taken him 41 balls and the rate was starting to climb but he was caught behind by Troughton, the second of four catches for the keeper.
Several players in the lower-middle order also made starts, reaching double figures before being nipped out. Horton though made a better effort. Punching seven boundaries he went to a determined fifty and continued past seventy. He took Lancashire past 200 but by now eight wickets had fallen and if the visitors were to win he would need to take them home and also up the rate. In the end though he was caught behind for 78 from 63 balls.
The end came soon after as Wright wrapped up the game to finish with 3 for 48, but pick of the bowlers was Carter who took 4 for 38, including the wicket of Horton.
Warwickshire win by 23 runs
Star Player: Chopra for a strong hundred to take the game beyond Lancashire.
Hampshire v Sussex
Sussex won the toss and decided to bat
Sus - 219-8
Ham - 222-2
Sussex batted well through the powerplay and took the first wicket partnership to 71 before Briggs had Nash caught for 26. Prior joined Wright and together continued to play steadily, taking the visitors past 100 and then 150. Prior was watchful while Wright cracked boundaries all around and launched three deliveries over the ropes.
Prior was next out, bowled for 28 from 52 balls with the score on 159-2, but that quickly became 164-3 as Joyce was caught off Briggs for 0. Ten from Goodwin, including a 6 helped add 31 for the fourth wicket as Wright swept to a marvellous century and beyond.
The game changed suddenly however as first Goodwin was removed by Griffiths, Wright was caught off the bowling of Ervine, and next ball Brown was also caught. The score was now 195-6. Werners and Yardy both made 1 and departed swiftly leaving the score on 199-8 as the innings came to a sharp halt. Beer and Magoffin played out the remaining overs but Sussex had to settle for 219, when a much higher score had looked on the cards.
Hampshire had the impetus, and having won the Twenty20 clearly are sensing the chance of another trophy. Carberry and Vince opened the innings and wasted little time in attacking the bowlers. With the field up boundaries came regularly as the pair put on 129. Strangely they both fell within a run of each other as Beer started a fight back. Carberry was caught for 68 from 36 balls with five 6s, while Vince was bowled for 58 with eleven fours.
Adams and Katich were under some pressure but had plenty of overs left and so batted steadily for a few overs before attacking again. The fight back didn't last long. Together they eased Hampshire past 200 and to a comfortable victory. Adams finished on 44* while Katich made 47*. In total the innings used up just 33 overs as Sussex were crushed.
Hampshire win by 8 wickets
Star Player: Wright, despite being on the losing side, for his 122 from 100 balls, the standout performance.
So the CB40 final will be between Warwickshire and Hampshire at Lords on Saturday 15th September, the last day in the County Cricket season.
Before then however we have two more rounds of the County Championship. Will there be a thrilling finish, or will it all be over well before the final day.
Here are the tables ahead of the next round of matches beginning on Tuesday.
Division 1
| Team | Played | Points | |
| 1 | Warwickshire | 14 | 181 |
| 2 | Sussex | 14 | 159 |
| 3 | Nottinghamshire | 14 | 153 |
| 4 | Middlesex | 15 | 149 |
| 5 | Somerset | 14 | 145 |
| 6 | Durham | 15 | 137 |
| 7 | Surrey | 14 | 111 |
| 8 | Lancashire | 14 | 94 |
| 9 | Worcestershire | 14 | 93 |
Division 2
| Team | Played | Points | |
| 1 | Derbyshire | 14 | 169 |
| 2 | Yorkshire | 14 | 150 |
| 3 | Kent | 14 | 146 |
| 4 | Hampshire | 14 | 144 |
| 5 | Northamptonshire | 15 | 127 |
| 6 | Essex | 14 | 123 |
| 7 | Leicestershire | 15 | 109 |
| 8 | Glamorgan | 14 | 103 |
| 9 | Gloucestershire | 14 | 102 |
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